Gift of Change
by lostinthewords
Summary: Castle gives Kate a unique gift for a special occasion. One-shot.


The five of them sat around the table laughing and sharing stories of the good old days, when they all used to work together, as a team. The time Beckett caught Rick, Esposito and Ryan betting on cases and instead of killing them, she joined it. That surprised everyone. Rick recounted every time Beckett arrested him, Esposito wouldn't let them forget when they saved Castle and Beckett from the freezer and the tiger. Castle and Beckett went back forth counting the times they've saved each other. Castle wouldn't let them forget the supernatural cases they've had like the zombie, vampire, DVD and Bigfoot ones. Beckett reminded him each time that there was human killer behind all of those cases, not one was caused by the supernatural.

"Castle, remember when we all conspired for your birthday and pulled off the fake murder?"

"You should've seen your face, it was priceless." This caused an uproar of laughter; they were probably disrupting the restaurant but with the changes ahead they didn't care.

"You still have to get me back for that," Kate teased.

"All in time…All in time."

"What about when you followed me to LA?"

"I was trying to be there as a friend, comforting a friend when she wouldn't admit it."

She rolled her eyes at that comment, "yeah sure…those were your intentions."

Castle wanted to take the focus off him, "Remember when Lanie and Esposito tried to keep your relationship a secret?"

Esposito sat up at that comment, "Hey! We were discreet."

"You work with detectives, did you really think we wouldn't see it?"

"You aren't a detective, Castle," Esposito shot back.

"But I do solve and write murders plus I knew. So, obviously, if someone who isn't a trained detective could figure it out then you weren't doing a very good job."

"He's right bro. You guys didn't hide it very well," Ryan chimed in.

"Like you can talk Ryan?"

"What are you talking about?"

"How about every time there was a moment you would pop up and ruin it."

"Oh come on that's not true."

They all looked at him, in unison responded, "Yes it is."

"Name some," he challenged.

"When we worked the case with the baby several years ago, Kate and I had a moment and were about to kiss when found you something."

"When we were working the 3xk look a like case and you interrupted Esposito and I in the morgue."

"We worked the bombing at the protest, you interrupted Rick and I."

"Okay I get it. Don't need to hear anymore."

They settled down and let the silence hang in the air, almost like a weight; everyone started to realize what was really coming ahead. Things were going to change; nothing would be the same.

Rick stood up, "I'd like to make toast. To Kate, New York's finest. You were the youngest female to ever make detective, and you put your heart and soul into every case and honored every victim. While you will be missed on the team, we know that you will continue this fight as captain. I am proud to be able to call you detective, my partner, wife, mother, and now captain. And my always."

They raised their champagne glasses, "To Captain Beckett."

The mood became somber, everyone became quiet; Ryan circled his finger around the top of his glass while Lanie picked at the crumbs on her plate.

"We're going to miss you," Esposito spoke up.

"Guys, I'm not going anywhere. In fact I'll still be our boss."

"Yeah but it won't be the same," Ryan admitted.

They sat there a few more minutes before Kate turned to Rick, patting his leg; "It's getting late, better get back to relieve Alexis from her babysitting duties."

"Yeah I should get back to Jenny."

Lanie took Esposito's hand in hers, "Come on let's get a cab."

They said their last goodbyes and headed out.

"I still can't believe you did all of this," Kate was snuggled into his side feeling light from the champagne in the limo he had rented for the night.

He planted a kiss on the top of her head, "Anything for the Captain of the 12th precinct, which happens to be the precinct with the best closure rate."

He shifted her so she would sit up, he pulled out a box wrapped in silver paper and topped with a purple bow.

"What is this?"

"Well if I told you that would defeat the purpose of wrapping it."

She looked between him and the present until Castle said, "Will you stop trying to figure it out and just open it already."

"Maybe I don't want to open," She thought if she were to wait him out he would become impatient and crack. Her eyes met his with her arms crossed; they challenged each other until finally Beckett cracked. To be honest she wasn't actually trying to beat him, even though she still wasn't used to receiving presents on non-holidays or birthdays.

A smug grin broke out on his face when he realized she gave up, she didn't do it often but when she did he knew it was for him.

She unwrapped the box putting the bow on top of his head, lifted the lid. She looked at him with confusion in her eyes, "A gun? Castle I have a gun."

"But this one is different, it's not necessarily made for use. It's functional and you can but this one is special."

She picked it up and saw nothing special about it, she looked at him again, "I don't see anything."

"Look closer."

That's when she saw it, on the handle; engraved on the handle was "Captain KB". It was simple but held so much meaning. It was a simple gesture yet unique that brought out so many meanings. A cop is nothing without a gun, but he got her one that was engraved with her new title. A title she worked so hard to get, a title that came with much heartbreak, near deaths, but ultimately gave her her life back and her true love.

She closed the distance between them, even after marriage and two kids there were still sparks every time they kissed. It was deep and heated, her tongue seeking entrance; he granted it, pulling her closer leaving nothing between them except their clothes, her fingers played with his hair.

They broke apart when they were desperate for air, they're foreheads resting against each other.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Love you too, now let's go back home so we can really celebrate."


End file.
